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Unicorns
|rarity = Uncommon |casting_cost = |upkeep_cost = per turn |research_cost = |num_figures = |moves = * |melee = |defense = |resist = |hits = |abilities = +20% To Hit Teleporting Poison Immunity Resistance to All +2 }} Unicorns are a type of Fantastic Unit featured in Master of Magic. They belong to the Realm, and may be summoned using a Summoning Spell of the same name. The Unicorns' primary combat skill is their ability to Teleport across the battlefield at will, allowing them to make sudden attacks against the weakest points in the enemy lines, and withdraw as necessary. Their attack, while seemingly weak, is actually quite accurate and can be deadly to low- and mid-tier units. Furthermore, the very presence of Unicorns in an army improves all friendly units' Resistance scores by , including that of the Unicorns themselves. The Fantastic Unit Physical Description The Unicorn is a famous mythical creature - a white horse with a single, long, golden horn protruding from its forehead. Unicorns have a golden mane, a golden tuft of hair at the end of their tails, and a golden beard similar to a goat's. Unicorns were first mentioned in Greek mythology. Over the centuries they received a reputation as majestic and benign creatures possessing powerful healing magics, who could only be tamed and ridden by virgins. The Unicorns unit is a , containing up to 4 of these creatures. Attack Properties The Unicorns possess a simple and straightforward Melee Attack, though it can be very dangerous to low-tier creatures and some mid-tier ones. The unit has a Melee Strength of , and enjoys an inherent bonus. This means that each Unicorn delivers about points of "raw" with each attack, on average. This is fairly high for a mid-tier unit, so opponents with low Defense scores can expect to take considerable damage. Defensive Properties Unicorns are rather light in terms of defensive properties, having a Defense score of only . This means that they block an average of only points from Conventional Damage attacks, and will therefore almost always receive some from any such attack. Fortunately though, Unicorns are somewhat sturdy, having per , which is significantly higher than the health of most Normal Units. Powerful enemy attackers can easily cause damage to the Unicorns, but will take some time to kill the entire unit. At the same time, the Unicorns also have a high Resistance score of - which is raised immediately to whenever combat occurs, thanks to the unit's own Resistance to All +2 ability. This total renders the Unicorns very difficult to affect with Unit Curses or other combat maledictions that require a Resistance roll. The only effects that can harm them reliably are those that incur a Resistance penalty. Furthermore, Unicorns are completely immune to Poison Damage. Other Properties Unicorns are about as fast as Cavalry, possessing a Movement Allowance of . This allows them to cover ground relatively quickly on the overland map. In combat, however, Unicorns are much faster, thanks to their Teleporting ability. The Unicorns may spend 1 Movement Point to move to any tile on the battlefield up to 10 tiles from their current position - basically maneuvering effortlessly to wherever they need to be. This allows the unit to strike and retreat freely, keeping the enemy off-guard. In addition, whenever the Unicorns enter combat, they will immediately bestow a bonus to the Resistance score of each and every friendly unit - including themselves. This makes the Unicorns' entire army significantly more resistant to enemy Unit Curses and Special Damage attacks. The bonus persists as long as at least one of the Unicorns is still alive, and disappears when combat ends (but will reappear in the next battle). However, it does not stack, and is not cumulative with the Prayermaster ability. Tactics Unicorns make terrific hit-and-run units. With their respectable Melee Attack and Teleporting ability, they can simply move adjacently to the weakest or most exposed enemy units, decimate them, and retreat to a safe distance on the next turn. Alternatively, they can get close to the enemy line to try and lure them in, so that they can attack first, and Teleport away after. If is available, it even allows the Unicorns to move in, attack, and then retreat, all in the same turn; although it's worth noting that this Unit Enchantment can only be used overland, which means that it has to be pre-cast before the battle. Either way, coupled with the unit's high survivability, the Unicorns can skirmish with the enemy line to keep units busy while other (stronger) units attack the enemy from the front. Alternatively, a horde of Unicorns can nibble at the edges of the enemy's line, destroying units one by one until the enemy is reduced to nothing. Teleportation also works very well with healing spells, allowing the creatures to remain in the fight for longer. This is important because the unit will suffer damage from enemy Counter Attacks, and the loss of each individual Unicorn weakens it - which may be undone with healing magic. Enemy Unicorns Unicorns are rather rare, as are most creatures. They may occasionally appear in Ancient Temples or Towers of Wizardry. Unicorns are often encountered in groups of several units, possibly accompanied by a few Guardian Spirits or commanded by an Angel or Arch Angel. Due to their Teleporting ability, Unicorns can be difficult to fight. They will often try to surround the weakest units and kill them off one by one. Fortunately, the AI is not very good at making tactical withdrawals, otherwise it might be significantly more difficult to chance and kill Unicorns. As it is, Ranged Attacks can still be useful against the creatures due to their low score, even though they will likely teleport in and attack any ranged units first - an act that will expose them to other nearby units. Strong Melee Attackers can wipe out a group of Unicorns fairly easily, though this may take some time. It is naturally better to use a unit with a high Defense score to fight off Unicorns, as their attack is not that impressive against armor. On the other hand, Unit Curses and other resistable spells are significantly less useful against these creatures, due to their high Resistance score. In fact, it may be very hard to inflict Unit Curses on any enemy unit while there are Unicorns still alive in the battle. Ability Overview +20% To Hit * This unit has an extra to hit its target with every die of its Attack Rolls. This improves its statistical chance to inflict more with each attack it makes. Teleporting * During its turn, this unit may instantly move to any unoccupied tile on the battlefield, using up only 1 Movement Point (or 0.5, if it only has that many points left). * There is no limit to the number of times the unit may Teleport in a single turn - as long as it has any Movement Allowance remaining. Poison Immunity * This unit cannot be hurt by Poison Damage. It will automatically pass any roll to avert such damage. Resistance to All +2 * During combat, this unit provides a Resistance bonus of to every friendly unit - including itself. * This bonus persists as long as the unit remains alive during the battle. It disappears if or when the army returns to the overland map. * This ability does not stack, and is not cumulative the Prayermaster ability. If more than one unit possesses either, only the highest bonus present will apply. The Summoning Spell Usage Unicorns may only be cast overland, for the base Casting Cost of . Upon successfully casting the spell, the new Unicorns unit will appear in the Town currently containing the Wizard's Summoning Circle, with full Movement Allowance, and may move and/or attack immediately as necessary. To keep the Unicorns in play, its controller is required to pay an Upkeep Cost of per turn. This is drawn automatically from the caster's pool at the beginning of each turn while the unit exists. Failure to pay this Upkeep due to lack of will lead to the Unicorns immediately disappearing, along with any Unit Enchantments currently affecting it. However, this upkeep is for the unit, not for the spell: Summoning Spells can not be dispelled by the enemy once cast. Naturally though, if the unit is destroyed, then it is gone from the world entirely, and there is no further need to pay its Upkeep Cost. Units summoned on the overland map may also be dismissed manually from their unit statistics window the same way as any other overland unit (during their controller's turn, while not in combat). Acquisition As an Uncommon Spell of the Realm, Unicorns may become available to any Wizard who acquires at least Spellbook. With none, the spell can naturally not be learned during the campaign. This is the minimum requirement for it to be traded for, appear in Treasure, or be found in the spoils of victory when conquering the Fortress of a rival Wizard who already knows it. The base chance for Unicorns to be researchable (at some point) in the campaign is roughly 10% (with book), which gradually increases with the amount of Spellbooks possessed or found during gameplay. With or more, the spell is certain to show up sooner or later, unless acquired from another source. It has a Research Cost of , although its research is quicker for Wizards possessing the Sage Master, and/or Conjurer Retorts; or a bookshelf containing or more. Unicorns may also be selected as a starting spell by players who allocate all of of their picks into books when creating their Wizard. In this case, it will be available for casting as soon as the game begins. Category:Units Category:Fantastic Creatures Category:Life